Dual boxing coiler

ABSTRACT

A dual boxing coiler that directs alternately predetermined lengths of wire first down one path and then down a second path, each of these paths leading to a separate wire coiling reel having a barrel. At the coiling reel the wire automatically threads itself into an opening in the barrel which is formed by fork-like fingers extending from a disc-like end plate. Drive means are connected to the barrel for imparting thereto rotation that coils the wire on the barrel. Means are attached to the barrel to shift it laterally out of the space separating the heads of the wire coiling reel, thus allowing a completed coil of wire to drop into an awaiting package.

United States Patent Manoogian [4 l Dec. 5, 1972 [s41 DUAL BOXING COILER 3,223,345 12/1965 Hill ..242/80 72 Inventor: 'Dickran Manoo ian Cranston, R.I. l 1 g Primary Examiner--Billy S. Taylor [73] Asslgnee: The Entwistle Company Attmey B-ar|0w & Barlow [22] Filed: Dec. 30, 1970 [57] ABSTRACT [2]] Appl. No.: 102,843

I A dual boxmg corler that directs alternately predetermined lengths of wire first down one path and then [52] US. Cl ..242/80, 242/81 down a Second path, each of these pathstleading to a [51] I!!! Cl. ..B2lc 47/00, B2lf 3/04. separate wire coiling reel having a ban-6L At the coil [58] Fleld of Search ..242/78.3, 80, 81, 84, ing reel the wire automatically threads itself into an 140/922 opening in the barrel which is formed by fork-like fingers extending from a disc-like end plate. Drive means [56] Reterences cued are connected to the barrel for imparting thereto rota- UNITED STATES PATENTS tion that COilS the wire on the barrel. Means are attached to the barrel to shift it laterally out of the space 2,985,401 /1961 Gazet ..242/8l separating the heads of the wire i i we], thus 1 290,216 12/1883 Daniels ..242/80 lowing a completed coil 0f i to drop into an await 2,449,234 9/1948 Knoble ..242 s0 ing package 2,944,755 7/l960 Foster ..242/80' r 2,598,537 5/1952 Hanson ..242/80 4 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures IT l I ggflruri a/ ma J 9) 79 w 78 J J 7 E PATENTEDBEE 1912 3.704.839

FIG.|

METERING a SIGNALING DEVICE TOR i f i M H-/3 i U FIG.3

INVENTOR DICKRAN MANOOGIAN ATTORNEYS P'ATENIEDHEE 5 W2 INVENTOR DICKRAN MANOOGIAN ATTORNEYS PATENTED 5 I97? 3 784,839 sumsnrs FIG? INVENTOR DICKRAN MANOOGIAN ATTORNEYS DUAL BOXING COILER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to the wire coiling industry and in particular to a dual boxing coiler having a coiler mechanism which can automatically thread wire onto a barrel, wind the wire into a coil, and eject the coil into a package for shipping.

In the past the operation has been performed by a series of operations involving manually threading wire on a coiling reel, winding the wire into a. coil, cutting the wire when coiled, removing the coil from the coiling reel, and manually placing the coil in a box or package. All of thiswas costly in terms of both time and money.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the operation of the dual boxing coiler of this invention, wire is fed into the machine and passes a metering device. The metering device is preset for a predetermined length of wire and through an electric signal will initiate operation of the cutter mechanism to sever a length of wire. The forward end of the length of wire will be directed along the wire guide channel by a wire direction gate and into a wire guide tube leading to one .of the identical coiling reels. The barrels of the coiling reels are formed of a disx-like end plate having fork-like fingers extending therefrom in a direction axially along the length of the barrel. The fingers are spaced around the periphery of the disc to form openings therebetween. The barrel may be rotating or stopped as the wire is fed into it with the wire being directed into a section of the barrel which has its forklike members moving toward the wire when the barrel is rotating. Continuous coiling is provided by directing a new leading end down another guide tube to another coiling reel.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevation new illustrating the dual boxing coiler;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view illustrating the dual boxing coiler;

FIG. 3 is a front end view illustrating the left coiler mechanism and its drive housing;

FIG. 4 is a cross section elevation view of the coiler mechanism;

FIG. 5 is an elevation view of the barrel;

FIG. 6 is an end view of the barrel and deflector illustrating the path of wire therein and with certain parts removed for clarity of illustration; and

FIG. 7 is a partial top plan view of the driven end of the coiler.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Looking to FIGS. 1 and 2, the dual boxing coiler is illustrated with many of its working mechanisms enclosed in their housings. As illustrated, the wire W is fed into the bore of wire guide channel 10 and, as it passes therethrough, it is engaged by vertically mounted traction sheaves 12 and 14 which push the wire along the wire guide channel. The sheaves are mounted on horizontal shafts 13 and 15 connected to a drive mechanism, not shown, but within the base cabinet 11.

As the wire progresses along guide channel 10, it next passes between cutter wheels 18 and 20. Mounted in the cutter wheels are cutters l9 and 21, respectively. The driving mechanism for the wheels is not illustrated but could consist of spur gears mounted on the respective shafts of the wheels and having their teeth intermeshed such that when one gear is turned, the other likewise turns. A second spur gear mounted on one of the shafts could be connected to drive means for which power to turn the shaft is transmitted. The sequence of the cutting operation begins with a signal from a counter or metering device 9 which actuates the driving mechanism for rotating the two cutter wheels. As the two cutters 19 and 21 rotate into each other and into the wire, the wire is severed at a preset length.

After the wire passes through the cutting operation, it enters wire directing block 24. Mounted in the guide channel of the wire directing block is a pair of pivotally mounted wire direction gates 26. The gates are mounted on shafts extending up through the bottom of the wire directing block and are connected to pivoting means not shown. In response to electrical signals from the counter sent out after each cutting of a length of wire, the wire direction gates alternately pivot to send first one length of wire down through guide tube 30 and the next down through guide tube 32.

FIG. 3 illustrates an end view showing the coiler mechanism generally designated 40, partially mounted in the coiler drive housing and partially supported by the top cover member 36. A more detailed view of the coiler mechanism is seen in FIG. 4 where the coiler reel 42 is shown to have two heads44 and 48, barrel 52 and deflector 58. Head 44 is comprised of a barrel and flange locator 45 and a disc 46 all of which are mounted on shaft 62. A bracket support 63 extending down from the top cover member 36 rotatably supports the shaft is hearing housing 64. Rotative drive for head 44 is provided from shaft 66 transmitted through sheave 67 and belt 68 to sheave 65 keyed to shaft'62. Head 44 is not designed for lateral movement but only for rotational movement. The other head 48 is designed to allow for only a short distance of lateral movement to facilitate release of a fully wound coil between the two heads as will presently appear. l

The structure of barrel 52 and deflector 58 are best illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 which also show how the wire is automatically threaded onto the barrel. As can be seen, the barrel has a disc-like end plate 53 with annularly spaced fingers 54 which form open slots therebetween. Wire W is automatically threaded onto the barrel while either stationary or rotating by directing the wire guide tube through which the wire passes toward a portion of the barrel where the fingers of the barrel are traveling toward the tip of the wire guide tube. As seen in FIG. 6, this would be toward the top right quadrant of the reel when it is rotating clockwise. The flngers of the barrel taper toward their tips and also have beveled edges to assist in directing the wire into the middle of the barrel when it is rotating. Upon entry into the barrel, the wire is captured by the deflector 58 which prevents the wire from passing through the barrel. The deflector is in the shape of a can open at its top end and having a top to bottom portion of its cylindrical wall cut away (see FIG. 6). With the end of the wire captured in the deflector, clockwise rotation of the barrel snags the wire bending it back upon itself with the elbow portion of the loop gripping the finger of the barrel and the wire is threaded on the reel. Continued rotation of the reel and movement back and forth by the traverse mechanism 38 will form the wire in a coil ready for packaging.

A power source (not shown) in the coiler drive housing 34 drives belt 70 which is connected to sheave72 to rotate the reel. Each of the heads 44 and 48 of the reel are rotated independently although simultaneously. Belt 74 also connected on sheave 72 rotates shaft 66 through sheave 76 keyed thereto. The rotation power transmission from shaft 66 to head 44 has been previously discussed. The manner of rotating head 48 will now be discussed. Sheave 72 is keyed to reel driving spindle 78 which in turn through bracket 80 rotates head 48 as a unit. The reel driving spindle 78 is rotatably supported in bearings within bearing retainer housing 82. Support 84 attached to the underside of the top cover member has an aperture within which the bearing retainer housing is contained. The width of the reel may be varied by the loosening clamps 85 of the adjustment mechanism 86 and sliding shafts 87 forward or backward which moves head 48 in and out. Barrel 52 will rotate along with head 48 because its fingers 54 pass through apertures along the inner periphery of head 48. Deflector 58 is mounted in shaft 90 and does not rotate along with spindle housing 92 since it is mounted in bearings 94 and 96.

At the completion of winding the wire in a coil on the reel, a signal from a counter or the like would actuate brake 98 causing the reel to stop rotating. The brake which is mounted on support 84 frictionally engages disc 100 which is keyed to the rotating reel driving spindle 78. Next a sequence signal would actuate air cylinders 102 to force piston rods 104 to the left (as seen in FIG. 7). Coupling units 106 attached to the piston rods are mounted on cross member 108 which, in turn, is attached to shaft 90. As shaft 90 is pulled to the left, barrel 52 and deflector 58 are withdrawn from between the two barrel heads into cavity 79. The deflector passes through aperture 49 in reel head 48 and the fingers 54 of the barrel pass through apertures 49A in reel head 48. Just prior to completion of the stroke of shaft 90 to the left, fingers 51 extending radially outward from the periphery of barrel disc 53 engage discs 81 mounted on the reel width adjustment mechanism. Further movement of shaft 90 to the left causes head 48 attached to shafts 87 to be moved to the left a short distance allowing the completed coil of wire to be released from engagement by the heads and dropped into an awaiting container. Springs 83 return head 48 to its proper position when a signal to the air cylinder reverses the direction the piston rods are to move. After shaft 90 has been returned to the right, the cycle is completed and the barrel and deflector are then in position to automatically thread a new length of wire on the reel and to coil it.

It is to be remembered that since there are two coiling stations, the wire can be fed continuously into the forward end of the dual boxing coiler and that the wire direction gate will alternately send a length of cut wire to first one and then to the other coiling station. Also an accumulator would probably be mounted overhead the dual boxing coiler to facilitate continuous reception of the incoming wire to the dual boxing coiler.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for winding coils of wire or cable comprising: I

a coiling reel having a pair of individually mounted heads,

an aperture in one of said heads of the reel,

means for shifting one of said heads away from the other head,

a coil barrel rotatably carried between said heads,

said coil barrel having a disc-like end plate with forklike fingers extending therefrom,

said fingers being spaced peripherally around said disc,

a deflector mounted within said barrel,

means for rotating said coil barrel whereby wire may be coiled thereon,

means to prevent said deflector from rotating when said barrel rotates,

means for withdrawing said barrel and deflector out through said aperture in one of the heads whereby a coil of wire wound on the barrel will then be free to drop into a container placed below.

2. Apparatus for winding coils of wire or cable as recited in claim 1 further comprising means for feeding a predetermined length of wire to the coiling reel, metering means measuring the wire, and cutting means actuated in response to a signal from said metering means.

3. Apparatus for winding coils of wire or cable as recited in claim 2 wherein there are two wire coiling stations, each having its own coiling reel and each having its own wire guide tube with a wire deflection gate placed along the path of the wire as it travels to the coiling operation such that by moving the gate between its two positions alternating lengths of cut wire may be channeled through first the first guide tube to the first wire coiling station and then the second guide tube to the second wire coiling station, thereby allowing the wire to be fed continuously into the wire coiling apparatus.

4. Apparatus for winding coils of wire or cable as recited in claim 2 wherein the cutting means comprises a pair of cutter wheels each mounted on opposite sides of a wire guide channel with cutters mounted in the wheels which rotate into each other and cut the wire as it passes therebetween when traveling from the metering device. 

1. Apparatus for winding coils of wire or cable comprising: a coiling reel having a pair of individually mounted heads, an aperture in one of said heads of the reel, means for shifting one of said heads away from the other head, a coil barrel rotatably carried between said heads, said coil barrel having a disc-like end plate with fork-like fingers extending therefrom, said fingers being spaced peripherally around said disc, a deflector mounted within said barrel, means for rotating said coil barrel whereby wire may be coiled thereon, means to prevent said deflector from rotating when said barrel rotates, means for withdrawing said barrel and deflector out through said aperture in one of the heads whereby a coil of wire wound on the barrel will then be free to drop into a container placed below.
 2. Apparatus for winding coils of wire or cable as recited in claim 1 further comprising Means for feeding a predetermined length of wire to the coiling reel, metering means measuring the wire, and cutting means actuated in response to a signal from said metering means.
 3. Apparatus for winding coils of wire or cable as recited in claim 2 wherein there are two wire coiling stations, each having its own coiling reel and each having its own wire guide tube with a wire deflection gate placed along the path of the wire as it travels to the coiling operation such that by moving the gate between its two positions alternating lengths of cut wire may be channeled through first the first guide tube to the first wire coiling station and then the second guide tube to the second wire coiling station, thereby allowing the wire to be fed continuously into the wire coiling apparatus.
 4. Apparatus for winding coils of wire or cable as recited in claim 2 wherein the cutting means comprises a pair of cutter wheels each mounted on opposite sides of a wire guide channel with cutters mounted in the wheels which rotate into each other and cut the wire as it passes therebetween when traveling from the metering device. 